


Set Your Old Heart Free

by roboboogie



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Domestic, M/M, Shore Leave, fic? more like ficlet, spirk, spock looks great with natural lighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-13
Updated: 2013-07-13
Packaged: 2017-12-19 08:16:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/881546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roboboogie/pseuds/roboboogie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kirk may be a little startled the first time Spock says "I love you," but as a proper Starfleet Captain he of course does not lose his cool in any way, shape, or form.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Set Your Old Heart Free

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this lovely gif set and tag combo: http://spodiddly.tumblr.com/post/55290749817
> 
> Title from "Hello My Old Heart" by the Oh Hellos.

Jim's not expecting it, when it happens. They're on shore leave, back on Earth, holed up in a ratty old apartment; they had the money to afford a more modern place, of course, but Jim insisted that they check out the listing and adored it at first sight, nearly waxing poetic about the vintage decor (apparently the Corvette was not just a phase, although Spock hopes Jim doesn't treat these "wow, 1950s style, brilliant, classic glass design - look Spock!" lamps the same way. There don't seem to be many cliffs nearby, though, so Spock thinks the lighting fixtures are safe for now). Spock allowed himself to be dragged along for the ride, as he often does with Jim, responding to Jim's unflagging enthusiasm with merely an amusement-tinged eyebrow - though in the deep recesses of his heart he admits to a special affinity for the apartment's wide, open windows that let in golden, warming sun rays. It's a small place, but it's their place; Spock refuses to allow Jim to eat anywhere but the kitchen because, "Really, Jim, you know you're a sloppy eater and it would be simply illogical to offer rodents _further_ excuse to infiltrate the area." Despite these warnings, Spock has lost count of the number of times he's stumbled upon Jim spraying crumbs everywhere as he yells excitedly at some holovid or other, only to notice Spock with a guilty glance and a markedly feeble attempt to hide the evidence of his transgressions. 

Today, Jim leans around the corner of their beat-up cupboard, intent on getting an explanation for their disheartening lack of Nutella (because dammit this upsets all of his sandwich plans, and really, never trust a Vulcan with a chocolate product, he should have known…). His hair is rumpled, his chin is scruffy, and his stomach is rumbling, but that all fades away when he takes in Spock, casually leaning against the counter, crazy-Vulcan-tea mug in hand, with an inquisitive yet oddly judging eyebrow raised as though he can sense that Jim's about to express some form of immature displeasure. A small smile spreads over Jim's face at the sight, and he's so distracted with competing thoughts of Nutella sandwiches and how great Spock looks in this light, the soft sun smoothing his sharp curves - yes, big windows, excellent idea - and the genesis of a plan to sneak his soon-to-be sandwich past the ever-vigilant Vulcan, that he almost doesn't hear it when Spock opens his mouth and out comes a soft "I love you."

They both look taken aback for a moment, Jim's eyes widening and eyebrows raising; Spock looks no less surprised with himself, looking down into his coffee with only his suddenly huge eyes betraying his placid exterior. There's a moment of silence, of stillness, before Jim recovers - though admittedly lacking his normal boundless, frenetic energy. He involuntarily shifts back on his heels, moving in jerky half movements and looking everywhere without really seeing, a million thoughts running through his head at breakneck speed as he mouthes "Right," without seeming to notice that he failed to actually say anything. 

Jim is a man in a daze; "love" is not a word carelessly pandered around by Vulcans, nor is it an emotion Jim is exactly used to being on the receiving end of. Sure, Winona loved her son, but it was an understood thing, more a conveyance of actions than of words. And Frank, well…Frank had his own brand of "very, very tough and honestly questionable love" when it came to dealing with the most unruly of the Kirks. 

All in all, Jim hasn't got much practice being the subject of heartfelt confessions, particularly from First Officers with stunning eyebrow control that Jim himself is rather embarrassingly besotted with. It's enough to leave any dashing Captain a bit stunned, is all. 

As Jim begins to turn away with a vague smile, still deep in thought, Spock makes an aborted motion forward, sloshing his indiscernibly dark tea in its cup. "Jim? Jim, I had no plans to disquiet you, I --" 

Startled out of his reverie, Jim pivots back, his blank expression slowly shifting into something real, into that trademarked Kirk grin, rows of sharply white teeth somehow softer than his patented camera smile, and whispers, "I love you, too." Jim's always spoken with his eyes, and one look into the resplendently blue irises tells Spock that with this seemingly simple phrase Jim means so much more, means "You're the center of my universe, my everything," means "How did we ever get here?" means "I don't know who I'd be without you."

Spock pauses, as close to overwhelmed as a Vulcan gets, but shakes it off valiantly with the ghost of a smirk. "Don't think this means you can sneak that sandwich you're planning on making past me, though. " 

And Kirk knows that Spock means "You're my everything, too."


End file.
